Load handling means

ABSTRACT

A freight container is picked up by a crane or carrier by means of a spreader frame of adjustable length and having twistlocks for engaging the corner castings of the container. A square tube for operating the twistlocks is slidably engaged with a sleeve which is rotated by an hydraulic jack. A link connected to the jack can be made to move by the jack in preference to the sleeve.

United States Patent 1191 Ward 1 Oct. 23 1973 [54] LOAD HANDLING MEANS 3,161,309 12/1964 Baudhuin et a1, 294/81 SF 3,606,044 9/1971 Goldhofer 294/67 DA X [75] Inventor- P ward Llchfield, 2,007,187 7/1935 Fitch 294/67 DA staffordshlre, England 3,173,556 3/1965 06116116161 :11. 294/21 SF x 2,638,645 5/1953 Olson 294/67 R X [73] Assgnee' s rfgg gx i fizh 3,514,146 5/1970 Zweifel et al. 294/67 R Filedi P 14, 1971 Primary Examiner--Evon C. Blunk [21] APPL No; 134,013 Assistant Examiner-W. Scott Carson AttorneyScrivener, Parker, Scrivener and Clarke [30] Foreign Application' Priority Data. ABSTRACT Apr. 21, 1970 Great Britain 18,903/70 A freight container is picked up by a crane or carrier 52 US. Cl 294/81 SF, 294/67 DA y means of a Spreader frame of adjustable length and 51 1m. (:1. B66c 1/00 having twistlocks for engaging the corner castings of 58 Field 61 Search ..'294/67 R, 67 DA, the container- A q r tube for Operating the twist- 294 g SF locks is slidably engaged with a sleeve which is rotated by an hydraulic jack. A link connected to the jack can 56 References Cited be made to move by the jack in preference to the UNITED STATES PATENTS Sleeve- 3,08l,l20 3/1963 Heinmiller et al. 294/67 DA 2 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures LOAD HANDLING MEANS This invention relates to improvements in load handling equipment and more particularly to'equipment for handling freight containers. l In one known type of load handling equipment a container is picked up by a spreader frame having a loadengaging lock located at each corner and operable by power means on the frame, the spreader frame being suspended from a gantry crane, straddle type carrier or the like.

According to our invention, in load handling equipmerit a spreader frame has a member for operating a load-engaging lock which member extends longitudinally of the frame and is in keyed engagement with means for rotating the member under power.

The spreader frame may be adjustable in length in which case the operating member is in sliding keyed engagement with means for rotating the members.

The operating member may be of square section tube in sliding engagement with a rotatable sleeve and may operate a .lock at each corner of one end of the spreader frame.

Preferably provision is made for disengaging the power means and for actuating the load-engaging locks manually. Signalling means may be provided to indicate engagement and release of the locks.

One embodiment of our invention is described by way of example and is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which,

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic side view of a spreader frame for container handling equipment;

F IG. 2 is a plan view of the spreader frame shown in FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of a detail in FlGS. l and 2, and

FIG. 4 is a view of the lever arrangement for operating the twist locks at each end of the spreader frame.

The spreader frame illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 comprises a main generally box-shaped hollow section 1 having open ends within which two side-by-side oppositely moving booms 2 are slidably mounted. A headed boss 3 is provided at each corner of the main section 1 for suspending the main section from a straddle type crane or carrying vehicle. One boom 2 extends beyond one end of the main section 1 and the other boom 2 extends beyond the other end of the main sectionl. Each boom 2 at its end remote from the main section 1 carries a cross-head 4. A conventional twistlock 5 for engaging a corner casting of a container is provided at each end of the cross-heads 4.

A power-operated drive mechanism 6 on the main section 1 is connected to each boom 2 so that they are selectively extended or retracted in synchronism.

A twistlock operating member 7 comprising a square section tube, extends lengthwise of the spreader frame and is supported from the main section 1 by a bracket 8 and by a composite rotary and sliding bearing assembly 9 shown in more detail in FIG. 3. This comprises a sleeve 11 having a substantially square bore within which the member 7 is slidable but relative to which it cannot rotate. The sleeve 11 is rotatably mounted between bearing brackets 12 secured to the side of the main section 1 and generally in alignment with a bearing 13 in the cross-head 4 in which the operating member 7 is rotatably mounted. Two parallel lugs 14 extends fromv the sleeve 11 and provide a pivotal mounting for the lower end of a double-acting hydraulic jack 15. A short link 16 is provided on top of the main section 1 and extends transversely thereof, its outer end being connected to the upper end of the jack 15 while its inner end is pivotally connected. to a bracket 17 secured to the top of the main section 1. A removable pin 18 passes through corresponding holes in the link 16 and bracket 17 such that when the pin 18 is in place the link 16 is prevented from moving on operation of the 10 jack 15. When the pin 18 is removed and the operating member 7 is restrained (in a manner to be described) operation of the jack 15 swings the link 16 about its pivotal connection to the bracket 17, i.e., the pin 18 acts as a clutch in the operating mechanism.

As shown in FIG. 4 the operating member 7 is provided with an arm 19 at a position adjacent the crosshead 4. A pivotal link 21 connects the arm 19 with the operating arm 22 of one of the twistlocks 5. Two more pivotal links 23 and 24 connect the arm 19 to a lever 25 pivoted on the cross-head 4 and this lever 25 is in turn connected to the operating arm 22 of the second twistlock 5 by a fourth pivotal link 26. With this arrangement of links and levers rotation of the operating member 7 in one direction turns both twistlocks into the locking position and rotation in the opposite direction unlocks both twistlocks. A forked hand lever 27 receives the pin 28 which connects the links 23 and 24 and is pivoted to the cross-head 4. The hand lever is extended upwardly beyond the cross-head 4 and, in the locking position of the twistlocks 5 shown in FIG. 4, a hole 29 in the hand lever 27 is aligned with a hole in a bracket 31 on the upper surface of the cross-head 4. The pin 18 removed from the power operating means can be fitted to the aligned holes to secure the twistlocks 5 in their locking position.

A boss 32 on the lever 25 works between spaced washers on the extended arm of a cam which operates a micro-switch 33. The micro-switch can be electrically wired to operate coloured lights or other signalling means to indicate the position of the twistlocks to the crane operator. I

The arrangement of the operating member 7, hydraulic jack 15, links and levers 19-33 is duplicated on the other side of the main section 1 and the other crosshead 4 for operating the twistlocks 5 carried thereby.

It will be appreciated that with the arrangement which has been described the hydraulic jacks 15, or equivalent power-operated devices, for operating the twistlocks 5 are conveniently located on the main section 1 where the lengths of hydraulic hose runs (or, for example, electrical leads) can be kept to a minimum and extension and retraction of the booms 2 is accommodated by sliding of the operating members 7 relative to the main section 1. This eliminates jacks on the cross-heads for operating the twistlocks and consequently bulky, vulnerable and generally inconvenient hydraulic hoses associated therewith. in an alternative arrangement the operating member may be telescopic and operate the twistlocks at both ends of the spreader frame, thus requiring only one hydraulic jack. The hollow operating member 7 can be conveniently used to house and protect from damage electrical cables for lighting and signalling equipment in the cross-head.

The advantage of the removable pin 18 is that the twistlocks 5 can be isolated from the hydraulic system of the crane or straddle carrier in the event of a fault in the hydraulic system, or when the spreader frame is carrying a second spreader frame. In the latter event it is advisable to avoid the risk of operating the twistlocks on the first spreader frame. Securing the hand lever 27 in the locking position is an additional safety feature.

I claim:

1. In load handling equipment for handling freight containers of different lengths, a spreader frame comprising a first frame section, two parallel second frame sections slidably mounted side-by-side in the first frame section for relative movement thereto in opposite directions whereby the length of the spreader frame is adjustable, the outer end of each second frame section projecting beyond the first frame section, a cross-head mounted on the outer end of each second frame section, a twistlock adjacent each of the outer ends of each cross-head, the spacing of the twistlocks corresponding to the spacing of the corner castings on a freight container, a rotatable operating member extending longitudinally of each second frame section to rotate the pair of twistlocks on the croess-head associated with that second frame section, and power-operated means mounted on the first frame section for rotating the operating members, said members being in sliding keyed engagement with said means.

2. In load handling equipment, a spreader frame as in claim 1, wherein said rotating means comprise a sleeve through which said operating member is slidable, the operating member being square in section, a doubleacting hydraulic jack connected at one end to said sleeve, and a link pivotally mounted on said first frame section but capable of being secured in a fixed position,

and connected to the other end of said jack. 

1. In load handling equipment for handling freight containers of different lengths, a spreader frame comprising a first frame section, two parallel second frame sections slidably mounted side-by-side in the first frame section for relative movement thereto in opposite directions whereby the length of the spreader frame is adjustable, the outer end of each second frame section projecting beyond the first frame section, a cross-head mounted on the outer end of each second frame section, a twistlock adjacent each of the outer ends of each cross-head, the spacing of the twistlocks corresponding to the spacing of the corner castings on a freight container, a rotatable operating member extending longitudinally of each second frame section to rotate the pair of twistlocks on the croess-head associated with that second frame section, and power-operated means mounted on the first frame section for rotating the operating members, said members being in sliding keyed engagement with said means.
 2. In load handling equipment, a spreader frame as in claim 1, wherein said rotating means comprise a sleeve through which said operating member is slidable, the operating member being square in section, a double-acting hydraulic jack connected at one end to said sleeve, and a link pivotally mounted on said first frame section but capable of being secured in a fixed position, and connected to the other end of said jack. 